Whole Food Cooking Part I: Hunt, Gather, & Save

Those of you who are Function 5 Fitness members know that nutrition is a big part of what we do.  We believe that it’s the most important pillar of all aspects of fitness and health, because without good nutrition you have no foundation to build on.

Nutrition is really very simple.  We like to call it real food. That’s right - real, not that packaged food bar in you’ve had in your glove compartment for 2 weeks now that has a list of things you can’t pronounce on the label.

You may have heard the term “Paleo” to describe how we eat, which means a diet based on the way our Paleolithic ancestors ate. To me though, it just means real food: meat, fish poultry, eggs, veggies, fruit and some nuts – just the way nature intended them to be.

I want to help you all live healthy lives and much of that starts in the kitchen.  If you are not much of a cook that’s okay, let’s break this down into steps. First, you’ll need to hunt and gather your food a.k.a. shopping.

One of the main complaints that clients make when switching to a real food diet is that it costs them more money than they’re used to. But eating healthy can be inexpensive and is very worth it. Think of your grocery bill as an investment in your health, a retirement plan that is going to make sure you live a vibrant, strong life well into your 80’s and beyond. Getting cancer is expensive, open heart surgery is expensive, that grass-fed steak and some organic broccoli are not that expensive when you look at the big picture.

Here are 10 ways, to Hunt, Gather and $ave!

1. Know your Dirty Dozen - These are 12 fruits and veggies that are loaded with chemicals and pesticides. Try to buy these organic when possible to avoid nasty chemicals. This leaves tons of produce that doesn’t have to be bought organically, but if you can that’s good too.

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

2. Be a planner.  Make a list and stay within a set budget. This is a good way to dodge buying unwanted items that may go bad before they get eaten.  If you are like me that chocolate chip trail mix at the end of the counter always seems like a good idea at the time. But if you have a list you are more prepared to turn it down.

Here are some staples that are always on my list are:

Ground beef, frozen fish, steaks, eggs, a variety of veggies, sweet potatoes, coconut oil, natural sausages, natural turkey breast slices, olive oil, avocados, garlic and onions (easy flavor for stir-fries) grab and go fruits like apples, oranges, pear and bananas, almond or sun flower butter.

3. Freeze it! Always have frozen fish, poultry and meat in the fridge – and remember to defrost it the day before you want it to cook.  Produce you need to plan to buy fresh twice a week, but you can get some frozen items.  Fresh is better, but I’d rather see you eat veggies than none at all. So if buying frozen veggies helps you eat them, go for it.

4. Where Smart Modern Peeps go to Hunt and Gather:

Here is a list of places you can go and what to expect:

Trader Joes: Great for wild caught frozen fish (just read labels), grass-fed ground beef, organic nuts, organic olive oil, some organic produce and the delicious organic 85% chocolate.

Whole Foods:  Good for those hard to find items: coconut oil, coconut milk, pastured eggs and poultry, any organic produce you can’t find at Trader Joes.

Famers Markets: Get to know your local organic farmers, ask questions – and even go late to barter for the real deals ;)

USWellnessMeats.Com  - The best online store for grass-fed meat – they ship it to you fresh frozen, it’s easy, convenient and delicious!

Stay tuned for next month when I go over cooking tips, until then feel free to use this easy method that The Paleo Solution Author Robb Wolf recommends and me and the F5 peeps use all the time:

•  Put some oil in a pan. (coconut oil is best)
• Brown some meat in that oil for a minute
• If you are using a hearty herb/spice like ginger, add it before the meat, if it’s delicate like basil, add it when the dish is almost done.
• Add veggies – your choice!
• Stir it a time or two, cover and set a timer for 5-10 min.
• If it’s done, eat! If not, set a timer again.
  

Hey, now wasn’t that simple???

You’re welcome. ;)

 - Natalie Morgan & Roxy Richardson

3 October 2011 ·

• Tags
• nutrition
• food
• cooking
• organic foods
• grass-fed beef

“I’m Too Busy to Eat Healthy” is a BS Excuse.

Real Food Tips for a Modern Lifestyle

When I was asked to write a blog about tips for eating healthy for busy professionals I originally thought that I would be coming from a more compassionate, forgiving perspective.  But after thinking of all the busy professionals I counsel in nutrition that have adapted right away to my suggestions and began eating a diet of only whole, real foods - no grains, no legumes, very little dairy and sugar only for the occasional treat – and how those people were very busy, some working 50 plus hours a week – I told myself if they can do it, so can everyone else.

All it takes to make a change in your diet and your lifestyle is a desire and a commitment to change. If your life is really too busy to allow for you to take care of your basic needs:  nutritious food, adequate sleep and moderate exercise - you need to check your priorities.  Your health is your life. Good, vibrant, non-medicated, long term health makes you a better worker, a better parent, a better friend and a better lover. We can only give to the world as much as we get from it and we get so much more if we are energetic, active, clear thinking, non-dependent, and healthy people.

My own adherence to my nutrition and lifestyle principals was put to the test recently when I opened my new business.  Could I eat well, get rest and exercise while running my own business full time with ridiculous hours?  While I did find that my coffee consumption increased and my sleep temporarily did decrease, after a week or turmoil, I managed to set in a healthy routine that allows me to work hard, eat real food  that’s grain, legume and mostly dairy free, workout some, rest well and enjoy life.

Quit feeling guilty about your bad habits. Guilt is a pointless emotion.  Just take ACTION and change things. Baby steps are not a required method for change.  Jump in head first and make your health a priority.

Here are my tips for all your busy people out there:

1)     Eat real food.  Put down the protein bars and shakes. Most are full or nasty sweeteners, and powdered proteins.  Soy protein is the worst of them all – but any protein powder is a processed food. Making dairy your main protein source at a meal does not favor fat loss and for many causes gut irritation. If you are trying to GAIN weight I might recommend protein shakes with good grass-fed whey protein… but again real food does the job better. Real food will satisfy you longer, cost less in the long run and doesn’t have a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce.

2)     If you say you have no time for breakfast you are full of s#!* - get off Facebook at 11am, you don’t need to be shopping on EBay after dinner, really. Power down all electronics by 10pm skip the cocktail, beer or wine with dinner which can affect sleep - set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and get up to make a breakfast with protein and fat.  Eat eggs, sausage, bacon, chicken, etc with veggies or avocado, and maybe a small apple or some berries too.  Eat real food and eat until satisfied. Breakfast should sustain you 5 hours until lunch time. If you find you are hungry earlier you probably didn’t eat the right stuff or you didn’t eat enough.

I used to be a protein shake whore.  It was one of the last processed foods I clung to in my diet and like a stubborn athlete I just couldn’t give it up. I was addicted to the convenience and the fact that I could make it taste like a milk shake (that should have given me a clue to its real health benefit right there).  But after switching to a hot real food breakfast I have more energy, lower body fat and less food cravings. I’m totally satisfied until 12pm or 1pm… AND I get to have bacon a few more times than just brunch on weekends.  It’s a win-win in my book!

3)     Skip the lunch truck. If you can pack your own lunch, great! It will save you money and be the healthiest bet.  Leftovers are great for packing.  Just make extra for dinner and save the rest for lunch. Get over the nerd factor of packing your lunch.  Avoiding diabetes by not eating pizza and donuts in the office is very sexy and cool… but these cute bento boxes are super sexy.

Don’t want to pack your grub?  Fine. There are plenty of options.  My favorite is the Whole Foods salad bar/hot food bar.  I can go there and always find some form of meat/poultry/fish that is of good quality and some veggie side dish or salad to accompany it. Just make sure to avoid the canola oil and hidden gluten sources in the prepared foods (check the ingredients list on the display case). If there is no acceptable protein at the salad bar/hot food bar, I order something from the deli case and add it to my salad. Grab a big bottle of water or some green tea and you are good to go.  I’m a sucker for the $3.69 bottles of Kombucha, but try not to have them every day so my pocketbook doesn’t take a hit.

What I also like about Whole Foods is I can pick up a snack for later If I know I’m gonna be working late. Like jerky or raw nuts or coconut water for post workout.

No Whole Foods?  Trader Joe’s or you local supermarket has some options too.  When in a pinch I can grab some deli turkey slices, some baby carrots and/or snap peas and an avocado and have a lunch and leftover snacking options. 

Business lunch?  Order meat/poultry/fish and veggies.  I don’t know why people complain that this is so hard.  Just make requests to the waiter.  You are paying and they are happy to accommodate. Order a salad no cheese, olive oil dressing with meat on it; order a piece of grilled fish or chicken with double veggies no grains. Ballin’ it at a steak house for lunch? You rock, I’m jealous and that’s super easy - get steak and broccoli or a pork chop and asparagus. If you are unsure about the quality of a sauce ask for it on the side and just use a little. This is not rocket science; it’s simply changing the way you order stuff. If I can do it after being raised vegetarian and eating a grain/soy based diet that destroyed my health for 20 plus years, so can you.

4)     Dinner is just about having a stocked fridge.  When planning your week plan what day you go grocery shopping. Buy some fresh meat and some for freezing; you can then defrost it the night before as needed. Get an assortment of fresh veggies (frozen if you must) and a little bit of fresh fruit and raw nuts. Eggs don’t go bad quickly so buy a dozen even if you live alone.  Apples keep well in the fridge so buy a bunch of those – if everything is gone at least you have eggs and apple to eat for breakfast until you go grocery shopping.  Buy some yams/sweet potato/squashes for higher starch meals if you are active.

Have coconut oil and ghee (clarified butter) on hand for cooking, olive oil for dressing or drizzling on steamed veggies and plenty of organic spices and seasonings.

Invest in good non-toxic cook ware. Like Pyrex, stainless steel or ceramic and non-plastic cooking tools. Buy a veggie steamer basket. They are cheap and easy to use - delicious veggies in about 5 minutes or so.

It takes me about 20-30 minutes tops to cook a delicious meal for dinner.  If you don’t have 20 minutes at the end of your day to cook for yourself and your family you should re-evaluate your life choices that got you to that point and make some changes so you can live better.

If I’m really rushed or simply exhausted from a long day I pick up a whole roasted chicken from Whole Foods and just steam some veggies to go with it. Boom.

5)     You can live it up a little bit on the weekends (if you really want) and still be pretty healthy. Gluten free pancakes for brunch, gluten-free pizza for a Saturday night dinner while watching a movie with friends, some brown rice sushi or corn tortillas, a little Haggen Das maybe and a couple Vodka martinis of Nor Cal Margaritas for a twist… Don’t go hog wild, just live a little and make mostly smart, real food choices with a couple fun “cheats” and then when you get back to work Monday cut out the slack. Don’t plan your binges like you are planning a Charlie Sheen style crack run - that’s neurotic food behavior. Just indulge occasionally when you feel it’s right (hopefully gluten free) and then go back to normal.

6)     Get your butt to the gym.  Even in you only make it twice during the week you can take a nice hike on the weekends - and get some natural vitamin D from the sun.  That’s enough to maintain muscle mass and get some general health benefits. You don’t have to slave away at the gym.  45 minutes is fine from warm up to cool down.  Lift some weights, do some body weight exercises, sprint a little, push it hard then leave.  If you don’t know what you are doing hire someone that does from a few sessions just so you can learn.  Check credentials and references; don’t just hire your local Globo gym trainer.  Pay cheap and get cheap.

7)     Sleep. The single most important thing you can do for your health is be well rested aim for 7-8 hours a night and get 9 hours when you can. There is no excuse for poor sleep.  If you have trouble sleeping you are having health issues that need to be addressed. Cut down caffeine, power down electronics early, get your hormones and gut function checked.  Sleep is paramount.  Get it.

This may sounds like my “tough love” blog – and it kind of is.  But I care that much about your health that I want you to realize how serious it is that you make these things a priority.  Now put down that skinny vanilla latte, skip the fries get the burger no bun extra salad, stop kidding yourself that Balance bars are healthy and make some choices in your life that really matter. You’ll feel so much better that you’ll have more energy and drive to do everything you love… and isn’t that what really matters.

10 March 2011 ·

• Tags
• Nutrition
• Health
• food
• Cooking

Organic Gluten Free Beef Stew

This recipe is super simple… You’ll need:

• 2 lbs grass fed stew beef (in bite sized pieces) usually comes cut
• 1 big organic yam  or sweet potatoes (or 2 small yams) quartered
• 4 organic carrots chopped
• 4 organic celery sticks chopped
• 2 cups organic gluten free beef stock
• 1/4 cup organic rice flour
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper (organic is best)
• 1 tsp paprika (organic is best)
• 1 tsp savory herbs or 1 bay leaf (I used herbs, cause it’s all i had and i forgot to pick up bay leaves. 

Also plan to have:

• 1 crock pot
• 1 big wooden sppon
• A good knife and wooden chopping board
• A hearty appetite :)

Makes 3-4 servings depending on how big your appetite is.. I think this will be just 3 for me!

*You can add onions and garlic if you want, i didn’t cause they don’t agree with my metabolic type, but if you like them go for it - also you can change the veggie ratios to your taste.

Directions:

Put beef in crock pot, add rice flour, pepper and spices, stir with wooden spoon to coat meat. Add stock and veggies, stir well.

Let cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low (cock pots vary so if this is your first time cooking the recipe I would plan to be home in the last 1-2 cooking hours just to check it.

I put mine in the pot at 4:30pm, turned it on high, went to go train Muay Thai, got home at 7:30pm checked it, turned it to warm and ate at 8:30p and it was perfect!

Seriously, how simple is that?! Now don’t tell me you don’t have time for healthy dinners! I work all day, train as a pro athlete and have time to make delicious, healthy food. It just takes a bit of planning and dedication to a healthy life.

25 May 2010 ·

• Tags
• cooking
• nutrition
• grass-fed beef
• food
• recipe

Adventures in Food

Just wanted to right a short blog to update y’all on how my gluten free, dairy free lifestyle is going. I’m 3 weeks in.

I haven’t been eating gluten/wheat since last summer so that has been fine, but the dairy has been tougher. I keep trying to talk myself out of it, or talk myself into some Haggen Das rather, but I know that this experiment is doing me good so I’m sticking with it for now - Aiming for 3 months, which seems like a long time, but it’s not really.

The hardest thing was to stop doing whey protein shakes in the morning . I realized how dependent I was on them. I was doing egg protein smoothies for a while, but it’s not quite as tasty. Still I may go back to egg protein powder for days that I am just a little short on time.

I’ve been eating eggs and/or chicken/tukey sausage and a pear or apple for breakfast for a while now. Sometimes I cook some steel cut gluten free oats over night for a treat and mix peanut butter in them instead of having a piece of fruit. I think I’m actually saving money with this breakfast. Good quality whey protein is expensive and I would buy bags of frozen fruit for the smoothies before.

I eat a pretty big breakfast and lunch because I need fuel for my day of training clients and my afternoon workout. Sometimes my dinners are lighter if I manage to eat enough during the day. Usually just meat and veggies. If I’m starved after a 2 hour Muay Thai session I whip up some yams, brown rice or quinoa to go with them.

I did have 3 slip ups with the dairy so far. One was when I was at Golden State and ordered a burger (no bun) and started eating it. After two bites it dawned on me that that white layer on top of it was indeed cheese. Oops! I took it off and finished my meal.

Then another time I was rummaging through my boyfriend’s pantry on the weekend looking for afternoon snacks and I found organic tortilla chips, score! I took a big bite and then realized I was eating cheese tortilla chips. Oops again. My boyfriend laughed at me and said, “What you didn’t see the big letters accross the front that say, CHEESE?” I was guilty of mindless eating. Bad Roxy.

A third time I was having sushi after a hard day of training and I ordered something like a brown rice roll with baked scallops on top. I can’t be sure, but after eating most of it I noticed it had a cheesy texture to it. Whoops. Hey, it was dark and I was famished.

Since then it has been pretty smooth. I won’t lie, I still have ice cream cravings.

I think at the end of this experiment I hope to come to an 80/20 relationship with dairy. Enjoying it in moderation on the weekend. But this experiment is teaching me creative ways to avoid it most of the time. Dark peanut butter chocolate cups  with a side of unsweetened vanilla almond milk for dessert anyone? yum

The gluten I don’t miss at all really. Unless someone has a brownie in my face. Ha!

21 April 2010 ·

• Tags
• gluten free
• dairy free
• nutrition
• food
• diet

The 80/20 Principle

Most people cringe at the word diet. I know I do, that’s one reason I don’t endorse diets as a realistic, successful, healthy approach to weight loss and optimal health. I support a long term (life long really) diet changes that one can maintain 80% of the time. The numbers are simple, eat well, exercise hard, rest hard and play nice 80% of the time. Then 20% of the time you can indulge in your favorite treats, and play “naughty” (whatever that means to you).

If you did the no grains no sugar diet you realized just how much of those two things are in EVERYTHING! That was one point of the challenge. You also probably felt better. So now you have more of an incentive to eat like that… but let’s be realistic a life without the occasional cupcake, martini or chips and guacamole is not realistic. Let’s explore the 80/20 principle:

FOOD

If you adhere to this basic diet 80% of the time you are probably eating a healthy diet: Meat, veggies, some fruit, little starch, no sugar and adequate fats to support activity levels (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, raw milk, avocado, bacon etc.) WATER, WATER, WATER - Nothing replaces water. Drink more.

The 20% (or three meals out of the week you can indulge a bit) waffles, ice cream, pizza, pick your poison, if you eat well 80% of the time and exercise you can get away with 3 cheats a week (NOT 3 cheat days, 3 single well portioned meals OR dessert treats).

EXERCISE

Keep it simple - exercise 3-6 days a week and hit it hard when you do. Then REST hard. You make gains in your rest. You don’t rest, you don’t see results. If you don’t have the energy to hit it hard that day, then do something more relaxing like a stroll in the park, stretching, yoga, Pilates, sauna, etc. 3-4 days a week of hard exercise 30-60 minutes is plenty for the average person. Love it?  Then do it some more, but get more rest! YOU NEED 8 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT TO RESTORE YOUR MIND AND BODY. You cannot lose weight with out sleeping more. Sleep well 80% of the time and you can get away with a night of 6 hours every now and then.

PLAY

I definite “playing nice” as being good to yourself and treating others with respect. Smile more (it boosts good brain chemicals that increase health and well being) stop and smell the roses, MOVE around throughout the day, take walks, skip, take the stairs, enjoy the sun (you need more Vit D), give more, listen to others, write down your goals, get inspired to do great things and inspire others. LAUGH and try not to take it all so seriously. Without a spiritual, positive emotional component to life one cannot achieve optimal health. Often road blocks in weight loss are a result of a lack of attention to the “PLAY” lifestyle factor of one’s life. Aim to play nice 100% of the time and then forgive yourself when you fall short of that goal 20% of the time ;)

We are all on a journey to be the best we can be. Fuel the body/mind with good fuel (whole foods), challenge the body/mind with physical exercise, restore the body/mind with sleep and recovery and inspire the body and mind with playing nice.

4 March 2010 ·

• Tags
• play
• food
• exercise
• inspiration
• 80/20 principle
• recovery
• s